One of my guiltiest TV pleasures, and I really enjoy TV, is “Wipeout” on ABC. This show is amazing. (And just started airing new episodes for Summer) A group of contestants, it might start at 40, eventually gets narrowed down to 3 by completing, or failing to complete as the the case may be, a series of obstacle courses. Those 3 move on to the ultimate course that looks like a level of “Super Mario Brothers.” Much like “Most Extreme Challenge,” several of the obstacles are near impossible for the average person. The best wipeouts are replayed in slo-mo. The man or woman left standing wins $50,000. Who wouldn’t make a fool of themselves for that kind of money, especially in this economic climate.

I also enjoy “Hole in the Wall” on Fox. Here, teams of contestants stand on a platform and must contort their bodies to match the cutout shapes in the wall coming toward them, lest they be pushed into the pool of water behind them. Hilarity ensues.

What both of these shows have in common, is the possibility for disaster. And disaster is inevitable. When people willingly put themselves in the position to have an “America’s Funniest Home Video” moment, I can’t help but watch. And laugh. A lot.